To get into the spirit of the holiday season, OnStar has decided to offer their services to Santa Claus’s sleigh this year. On Christmas Eve, OnStar will allow subscribers to follow Santa as he makes his journey across the world by simply pushing the OnStar button and requesting an update on Santa’s location.

Below is OnStar’s press release along with a link to a holiday video of Santa visiting the OnStar Command Center. You are welcome to post these on your website. Thank you.

OnStar Connects Children to Santa with the Push of a Button
NORAD partnership provides location information for subscribers; Santa’s sleigh gets fitted with OnStar technology

DETROIT –Santa Claus is getting a technology upgrade this Christmas season. This Christmas Eve for the first time, OnStar subscribers will have the ability to follow Santa’s journey around the world using their OnStar system thanks to a new partnership with The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Starting at 6:00 a.m. EST on December 24, drivers with an active OnStar subscription will be able to press the blue OnStar button in their vehicles and request a “Santa Update.” From there, an OnStar advisor will share Santa’s whereabouts based on location information provided by NORAD. The advisors will receive a new update from NORAD every hour and will be able to inform subscribers of Santa’s location through 5 a.m. EST on December 25.

For more than 50 years NORAD has used its GPS technology to monitor Santa’s whereabouts and share this information with children and families around the world. This year, OnStar will be sharing that location information through its advisors and links to the NORAD website from onstar.com, onstarconnections.com and facebook.com/onstar.

Santa will also be enjoying the safety and security of OnStar in his sleigh this Christmas. St. Nick recently paid a visit to the OnStar Command Center to pick up his newly outfitted sleigh and learn about the real services the company offers subscribers and the custom services OnStar created just for him.

Santa’s custom fictional services include: Reindeer Health Diagnostics to keep him abreast of the reindeers’ hunger and energy levels, Hands-Free Calling to allow him to keep his hands on the reigns and eyes-on-the-sky and Turn-By-Turn Navigation directions to help route him to the homes of the good little boys and girls around the world.

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About OnStar

OnStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communication services. OnStar is available on more than 30 MY 2010 GM models. OnStar is standard for one year on nearly all new GM retail vehicles in the United States and Canada. OnStar provides services to nearly 6 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. More information about OnStar can be found at http://www.onstar.com/.

About NORAD

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a bi-national United States and Canadian organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America. More information about NORAD and the NORAD Tracks Santa 2009 can be found at http://www.norad.mil and http:/ www.noradsanta.org

About General Motors

General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 219,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

State University of New York (SUNY) researchers found more premature births in fluoridated than non-fluoridated upstate New York communities, according to a presentation made at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting on November 9, 2009 in Philadelphia. (1)

Fluoridation is the addition of fluoride chemicals into public water supplies ostensibly to prevent tooth decay. Many groups oppose fluoridation because of its scientifically-documented health risks. (2)

Human pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks or just more than 9 months. A baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy is considered a preterm (or premature) birth. About 12 percent of US pregnancies are preterm and this is one of the top causes of infant death in the US, according to the US National Institutes of Health. (3)

The SUNY researchers used 1993-2002 data from the NY Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS), which collects patient characteristics, diagnoses, treatments, services and charges for every hospital discharge, ambulatory surgery patient and emergency department admission in New York State. They recorded fluoridation residence status (under or over 1 milligram fluoride per Liter of water) and adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, neighborhood poverty level, hypertension and diabetes.

“Domestic water fluoridation was associated with an increased risk of PTB [preterm birth]. This relationship was most pronounced among women in the lowest SES [socio-economic-status] groups (>10% poverty) and those of non-white racial origin,” write Rachel Hart, et al. Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, SUNY School of Public Health.

Previous published research by others has shown that fluoride can interfere with the reproductive system. (4)

“It would be wise to follow the lead of the 7,000 Environmental Protection Agency scientists and public health professionals (5) who asked Congress to place a moratorium on fluoridation until definitive studies are conducted to prove fluoridation is safe for every human consuming it,” says attorney Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. “Clearly fluoridation is not safe for everyone,” says Beeber.

At the request of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a National Research Council (NRC) panel of experts reviewed current fluoride toxicology. In 2006 they concluded that the maximum amount of fluoride allowed in drinking water is too high to be protective of health. At least three NRC panel members believe water fluoride levels should be as close to zero as possible. The EPA has yet to perform a fluoride risk assessment based on the NRC’s findings leaving millions of Americans at risk of fluoride’s adverse health effects.

According to Dr. Bill Hirzy, Chair of American University’s Chemistry Department and former EPA scientist from 1981 to 2008, the EPA fears “setting a maximum contaminant level goal of zero because that would mean the EPA is going to be responsible for the end of the water fluoridation program. EPA knows that there will be enormous political flak for doing that.” (6)

SOURCE: New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc (NYSCOF)

http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

http://www.FluorideAction.Net

Follow NYSCOF on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nyscof

Previous News Releases: http://tinyurl.com/NewsReleases

References:

1) 197468 Relationship between municipal water fluoridation and preterm birth in Upstate New York Rachel Hart, BA, MPH, et al. Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY

SIGN OUR PETITION!
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, New York 10007

Speaker Christine Quinn
City Hall
New York, New York 10007

Re: Support for Int. 565-A

Dear Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn:

We, the undersigned support Int. 565-A, a bill that would amend the New York City’s Human Rights Law to expressly prohibit employment discrimination based on an individual’s actual or perceived status as a caregiver. We strongly urge you to support passage of this important bill.

In 2007, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, joined by Council Members Bill de Blasio, David Weprin and Gale Brewer, introduced legislation to guarantee caregivers protection from employment discrimination. Later that year, the City Council’s Committee on General Welfare, chaired by Council Member de Blasio, held a hearing at which prominent unions, the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and A Better Balance and other advocacy organizations testified in support of the bill. A majority of Council Members (36 of 51) are co-sponsors of this bill.

As a result of further discussions concerning the bill, the Public Advocate and Council Member de Blasio have proposed an amended version of Int. No. 565-A which excludes the reasonable accommodation provision.

Int. 565-A defines a caregiver as a person who is a contributor to the ongoing care of (1) a child for whom the person has assumed parental responsibility or (2) a person who suffers from a physical, medical, mental, or psychological impairment and is related by blood, legal custody, marriage, or domestic partnership or living in a familial relationship with the caregiver.

As you know, the number of caregivers is rapidly growing. A 2008 policy brief by AARP has estimated that there are more then two million caregivers in New York State. As baby boomers age, the children of baby boomers will increasingly be caring both for their own children and for their aging parents. In addition, more than 50 percent of caregivers balance this responsibility with a full-time job. Therefore, there is an increasing need to establish protections against workplace discrimination.

Currently, there is no federal law that explicitly protects caregivers from employment discrimination, although there are some laws that can provide protection in specific circumstances. For example, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides protection against unfair treatment based on gender-role stereotypes about motherhood and fatherhood. However, an employer who discriminates against both women and men with children may be outside the reach of Title VII.

Types of caregiver discrimination include being rejected for employment, passed over for promotion, subject to a hostile work environment, or terminated based solely on an employer’s negative assumptions about the value and performance of an employee who has caregiving duties outside of work.

Int. 565-A is a strong anti-discrimination bill that would help ensure a fair and equal work environment in which all employees can thrive while also fulfilling their caregiving responsibilities.

We urge you to support passage of Int. 565-A and protect the City’s caregivers against workplace discrimination.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

cc: Betsy Gotbaum, The Public Advocate for the City of New York
Bill de Blasio, Councilmember, City of New York

You may recall that we recently invited you to listen in on the “Today’s Household CEO: What Does It Take to Fill Her Shoes” webinar hosted by Bill Me Later and Zappos.com. Bill Me Later and Zappos.com are now inviting Household CEOs to submit a 1-2 minute video that shows the world what it takes to “fill her shoes,” for more on the contest click here: http://shopping.billmelater.com/email/2009/hhceo.html?s_kwcid=billmelater.

Submissions will be posted at www.youtube.com/HHCEOs – final judging will take place during the first week of August and the winner will be announced on August 10th. The winner will receive a $2,500 gift certificate from Bill Me Later and Zappos.com (New shoes!!! Tell your friends and readers!!!!) and will be showcased to all of our friends in the blogosphere!

FYI: we had a fascinating discussion during the webinar with great insights from panelists including Redbook Editor in Chief Stacy Morrison, BlogHer Producer of Special Projects and Political Director Erin Kotecki Vest and our panel of busy moms. If you are interested you can listen to the recording here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/418806856.

Finally, our survey of over 600 Household CEO’s was eye opening! Did you know that the majority of women ranked their mobile phone as more important than significant others in managing both their household and professional lives!? To view survey findings, please click here: http://blog.billmelater.com/freetheshopper/2009/06/meet-the-household-ceo.html.

We will be at BlogHer in Chicago, July 23-25, and will have a video camera set up at the Bill Me Later booth (#115) to capture Household CEOs in action – we’d love for you to come by and participate! Also, if you would like to speak with Zappos or Bill Me Later at the show, please let me know.

We need to make noise too make change, mothers are a big part of AMERICA, WE have the babies that grow into the Adults that go to war, run this country, And our children are being let down by big companies(INSURANCE, DRUG, and Oil companies are at the top of that list, they run this country not our president, cause they are all bought and paid for by these lobiest who put them in office.President Roosevelt said a long time ago that all people were welcome here to our land but ENGLISH was our language and all of them had to learn to speak it ,our phones are not supposed to speak Spanish, our medical people shouldn’t have to speak SPANISH, that should not be on any application for employment in America,Americans should not be disqualified for a job because they don’t speak Spanish ,and if a person that has moved here does not speak English they should not get employment til they do ,ANYWHERE not at meat packing not at Farms, not at factories , but NO PLACE !!! not the other way around our kids aren’t getting jobs because they don’t speak SPANISH!!! Just think about it moms we live in America We should not nor our children should have to know Spanish unless We want to go there. We have children and young adults, and persons at all ages that don’t have and can’t afford medical costs and are being let die because of it but do you know how many illegal immagrants go to hospital ER’s everyday and get medical help for FREE,how many of these people send thier children accross the borders to school where they get educated and fed for FREE, they take jobs from people that are living on welfare here and could be doing somthing for thier welfare checks,Our borders need to be closed to outside people coming here until our people can say all people living here in America have jobs ,have medical ,have an education that doesn’t put them in debt for the next 20 yrs after they are out. Till all the people that have drug and alchol problems can go to a treatment center that has open doors when they are ready NOT when they have space, do you know how many people need help but have to check themselves into the syche ward until they have room someplace, and if your aren’t suicidal they put you on meds and send you home til they can find space or have to send you out of state, away from most of thier family and support system, to find space,most people coming out of drug and alchohol treatment and prisons are lack of support systems and finance help.When a person cries for help that is when they are willing to go not ,you’ll have to wait awhile til there is space, space may come too late for those that can’t afford high price centers, these people have been on the streets or in school or have low paying jobs, they can’t wait, they might not have a chance to ask again and these could be your kids, I’m sure all of you know someone in your life that has suffured with drug alcohol or mental illness it is so… horrible for all those involved and so helpless for those that have to watch and have tried to help only to hit walls (Money, Space, Support ) . We need to get change, and if we as mothers don’t start speaking out and being heard things aren’t gonna change, with internet and the web (I’m not very up on ) we can be heard so all of you moms that are worried about our country and our kids futures please PLEASE speak up and go to sights that you know of to voice your oppinions as they do get around as we all have heard words travel fast on the web so please before it is too late to make changes SPEAK OUT !!!!!! We have to Stop being the melting pot (At least temporarily, ) We need to take care of our futures before it isn’t our future,or our childrens. Spread the word moms that we aren’t happy and if MAMA ain’t happy Nobodies HAPPY !!!!!

I am reaching out to you on behalf of NUYU, an online fitness system that was created by a St. Louis couple that wanted to share their weight loss success by bringing the benefits of a personal trainer into the homes of many. Busy moms now have the unique opportunity to bring professional personal training and customizable workouts to the privacy of their own homes, at a fraction of the cost of a gym membership.

A developing online community lets you interact with top in their field personal trainers and other members, sharing information and successes as you achieve your goals. The personal community of cheerleaders, leaves moms with no excuses to skip out on fitness, NUYU even features a workout for mother and baby!

“Do you know what’s in the products you use on your baby daily?” asks Tawna Hill, founder of Tawna Hill Baby

In these trying economic times, it’s difficult for families to decide what is important enough for them to spend that little extra money on. Keeping your home and family free from environmental toxins costs a little more, but the benefits of shielding your children from chemicals & phthalates is worth every penny.

Rising cancer rates and other illnesses have long been linked to the ever increasing amount of chemicals we are exposed to everyday. “If you have the option not to begin your child’s life by slathering them in chemicals, why wouldn’t you choose the safer path”, says Tawna Hill. “Read the labels, if you don’t know what all of the ingredients are or can’t pronounce all those chemical names, why would you put it on your baby?”

Tawna Hill is the passionate founder of Tawna Hill Baby, after being diagnosed with and successfully treated for a malignant brain tumor while pregnant with her little girl, she used her skin care industry background to create her all natural product line.

Hill says, “I am glad to see high profile celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow in her latest GOOP newsletter advocating safer family living. It helps raise awareness among young parents that spending that little bit more to protect your children, is an important investment in their future health.”

Would you like to do something that helps out the community and pays very well?

With blood banks you will even get paid generously for your time!
It’s becoming one of the fastest and safest ways for people of all ages to help out and make good money for basically doing nothing!
Most people just watch their favorite TV show or read books and magazines while siting in a comfortable chair giving blood. See there is a shortage of blood donors in the USA, and your help is needed to increase the amount available for accidents, operations, and other medical needs.

Below are some commonly asked questions about what being a blood donor is all about …hope this helps, BloodBanker.com

How do blood donations work?
You’ll need to give the blood bank a call and schedule an appointment. Next they will give you some simple tests, testing for the amount of iron in your blood and other things. If you pass the tests (which everyone usually does), then you are ready to get paid cash for you blood donation. How often can I donate my blood?
It depends on the kind of program, center, or bank, but generally up to 1-3 times per week.

What are the risks of donating?
Barely any risks are involved, all blood donations are done in very clean environment and under the supervision of medical doctors. These days the donations are done in a virtually pain free way as well, so its very comfortable and easy for anyone to do. Some people are kind of scard of needles, but a blood donation doesn’t hurt and most people don’t even look at the needle anyway. Okay, so what�s the big deal?
The automated blood donations are 6 times more efficient than a traditional whole blood donation! That means that the machines that extract the blood can do a way better job and your time and blood are worth more to the banks. More more on this and other facts: Noobie explaination of Blood Donations

IMAGINE being able to donate before or after work a few times a week while you catch up on your favorite TV shows or reading a great book or doing homework.

Thanks SO much for helping out Did you know that 1 donation helps 3 people. Yes yes, meaning that your donation is used to treat 3 people when someone needs blood in a transfusion (like after a car accident).

Yes, men have gall bladder problems as well. But the majority of sufferers are women, and their suffering may last for years before it is properly diagnosed. Why? It is because the symptoms for gall bladder malfunction and/or stones can imitate so many other diseases, even stress. Often doctors just treat the symptoms before they finally diagnose the cause.

Let’s first look at the gall bladder’s job in our bodies. Simply put, it is our “oil filter”. The gall bladder stores the digestive juices known as bile that is made in the liver. Bile is needed to process or eliminate all the salts, fats and oils from the food that pass into our upper intestines. We all know that our fast food lifestyles add too much fats and oils in our diets. And when under stress, if we reach for that chocolate too often, the cocoa butter fat can stick in our system. The result? Too much bile way too often. See if perhaps you recognize any of these symptoms:

• Sharp pain in the shoulder blades, especially on the right.
• Frequent indigestion, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea
• Headaches over the eyes and temples, especially on the right
• Back pains
• Moodiness and irritability
• Excess gas and the inability to eat the spicy foods you once could
• Fatigue
• Daily use of antacids to combat reflux or heartburn

If you frequently experience two or more of these symptoms, talk with your doctor about the possibility of gall bladder problems before it gets so bad that the only things you can digest are saltine crackers and applesauce. The tests are simple. A blood test and perhaps a sonogram can help diagnosis whether the gall bladder is malfunctioning. And surgery may not be necessary. A change in your diet by taking replentative supplements such as acai berry laden antioxidants, fiber and vitamins, leafy greens and beets and less fried foods, along with regular exercise, can all help balance the gall bladder’s bile release. A good liver flush and colon cleanse may be appropriate if your doctor agrees.

If you are a woman and you have these symptoms, don’t write it off to stress, hormones or IBS and think it’s just a “woman thing” as doctors have for way too many years. First, find out if a malfunctioning gall bladder is the cause of your symptoms. Then make positive, nutritious changes to help stabilize it and keep it that way. There are many good articles on the web you can read up on and get the facts about your health, your diet and your gall bladder.